Chapter 173: The Flow of Time (5)

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A festival had unfolded after a long time.

The people of Stockpin were gradually overcoming their pain of loss.

Laughter was now more common than cries, and there were more jokes than consolations.

Everyone was starting to think about their future.

They still wielded swords, but everyone seemed to understand that they would need to hold farming tools more frequently.

In the end, these were the members who had joined the Red Flames to survive.

Some of them had even started families, so they needed to find their next livelihood.

No one regretted putting down their swords.

I wasn't the only one who was tired.

Experiencing the death of comrades who felt like family... even a couple of times was enough.

We, who had gone through it for years, clearly understood the horrors of war.

Moreover, everyone seemed reassured when I became the head of the new family.

Just having a reliable backer seemed to bring them peace of mind.

As was often the case with humans, many of the members were from the slums... This might have been the greatest success they could hope for.

The burden on my shoulders grew heavier because of this.

I didn't know if I could lead them as wisely as Adam Hyung did.

I was just making choices based on what Hyung might have done.

"Captain!"

Shawn, who was preparing for the festival, spotted me.

He was standing beside a well-stacked pile of firewood.

It seemed he was about to light a large bonfire.

Holding a torch, he looked at me.

Then, Shawn noticed Sien standing beside me.

The senior members knew Sien's face well.

We had once rescued her in front of Jackson's territory.

They knew better than anyone that Sien was a saint.

The rest of Stockpin's residents didn't know Sien was a saint.

Sien hadn't tried to hide it, but she hadn't exactly announced it either.

So, members like Shawn were left in an awkward position.

Shawn bowed slightly towards Sien.

Sien waved off his polite gesture, murmuring, "Ah, this... it's nothing now..."

I was aware of the rumors surrounding Sien and me.

Especially in Stockpin, these rumors were rampant.

After the war, divorcing wives and bringing in a new woman.

The members who knew Sien's identity also knew I had a past relationship with her.

Of course, rumors were bound to spread.

Anyway, Shawn approached, holding out the torch to me.

"Captain, light the fire. Let's start the festival."

"And the drinks and meat?"

"All ready. Not from the storeroom, but from today's hunt with Vice-captain Baran."

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